Is Malta the Market Mitsubishi Needs for the i-MiEV?

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the first EV to be sold in the country of Malta

The tiny-yet-densely-populated country of Malta lies in the Mediterranean Sea just 50 miles south of Sicily. Over the centuries, Malta has been a pivotal base of operations for naval powers looking to expand their influence throughout Europe; while Malta is today is a free republic, it is no less pivotal to Mitsubishi’s plans for taking a chunk out of the European EV market share with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

The i-MiEV took its place as the first fully-electric vehicle available for sale in Malta, available now from Industrial Motors Ltd.

The 2014 i-MiEV is scheduled to go on sale in the coming weeks with a drastically reduced starting price of $15,495. If the residents of Malta want to get behind the wheel of the i-MiEV, they’re going to need to pay just a little bit extra. And when we say “a little bit,” we mean about twice as much.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV will cost €21,990 in Malta, which is about $30,500. Despite the higher cost, the i-MiEV is still a money-saver in regards to its 112 MPGe EPA rating. The i-MiEV costs about $.04/mile to operate, meaning the i-MiEV will cover 112 miles for nearly half the cost of what a gallon of fuel would cost in Malta.

Do you think Mitsubishi’s launch in Malta is the first step in their EV’s path to prominence? Leave us a comment and let us know!